Actress Lark Voorhies From Saved By The Bell Opens Up About Mental Health

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Actress Lark Voorhies began her Hollywood career at the tender age of 2 years old when her mother moved her from Nashville, Tennessee to California. Her big break occurred at age 14 on the Disney Channel when she became a household name in 1988 with her recurring role on Good Morning, Miss Bliss. America was first introduced to Lisa Marie Turtle. Disney cut the series after the first season, but NBC caught wind of the idea and reworked the concept for the Saved by the Bell Series.

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Saved by the Bell followed the affluent, fashion-obsessed middle school, Lisa Turtle, into high school and Voorhies worked her way into America's heart for four seasons. The nation refused to put that endearing cast down, following Saved by the Bell through college, vacations, and a wedding. Now that the country is itching for a reboot, Voorhies may be left out of the upcoming casting.

The interesting behavior Voorhies has displayed since the end of the Saved by the Bell Series may have something to do with that.

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Voorhies has previously been reluctant to open up to the public about her struggles. After Saved by the Bell, Voorhies guest-starred in soap operas; Days of our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful,Martin, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She also displayed her versatility in the 2001 hit comedy movie, How High. Following the dip in her career, Voorhies seemed to take a hiatus, disappearing from the spotlight. When she reemerged, her disheveled appearance and irrational behavior had some speculating about drug use, it was later revealed Voorhies had been diagnosed with mental health issues.

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In a 2012 interview with People Magazine, Voorhies' mother stated that after her 2001 divorce to her actor-producer husband, Miguel Coleman, her daughter's mental health struggle began to emerge. At this time, though Voorhies had been officially diagnosed as bipolar there were reports that Voorhies was reluctant to seek professional treatment because of their lack of understanding. Voorhies behavior continued to shock. In 2015 she married a known gang member, much to her mother's dismay, it was feared the new son-in-law was taking advantage of the actress's mental health.

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Voorhies defended her husband and denied that she was bipolar in an Entertainment Tonight interview. After six months, Voorhies filed for divorce, claiming that her estranged husband was threatening to release a sex tape. Bipolar is difficult to treat as the symptoms include extreme mood swings. Mania, when the patient feels emotional euphoria. Can be characterized by high energy, feeling wired or jumpy, raised activity levels. During manic times a person may engage in risky behavior, take on many projects at once, and feel immensely overconfident in their abilities.

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These manic times can be followed by depressive lows where the person is lethargic, has trouble concentrating or making decisions. Voorhies is finally ready to open up about her daily challenges. In an episode of "Dr. Oz," she discusses living with a mental disorder that many people do not understand. On her Instagram post announcing the show she thanks her fans, telling them " It was very hard to find the right way to talk about some of the challenges that I go through on a daily basis" and thanking everybody for their support.